Help! Can't make decision about fellowship

[fly77]

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I am really frustated and running out of time. I went into psychiatry because I was sure I wanted to go into child and adolescent fellowship. But after a few months that I started residency I began to doubt. I was not sure I wanted to go into a fellowship. Then later I became interested in forensic psych, which did not help make my decision easier. Unfortunately I am on my third year now and pressed to make a decision since I for sure don't want to spend six years in residency instead of five if I transfer next year. I feel more hopefull working with kids than adults in general. But on the other hand I am not sure if I have the energy to deal with their families. Besides you help the kid and send them back to the same dysfunctional environment that in most cases generates the problems. With forensics I have more time to think about a fellowship and you are not confined to one thing but I am afraid it is too disturbing since we have to deal with murders, pedophilia, elderly abuse, etc. To work with children do we really need to have a fellowship anyways? I am really confused and would appreciate if someone could shed some light. Thanks in advance for any help

 

[Anasazi23]

With forensics I have more time to think about a fellowship and you are not confined to one thing but I am afraid it is too disturbing since we have to deal with murders, pedophilia, elderly abuse, etc. To work with children do we really need to have a fellowship anyways? I am really confused and would appreciate if someone could shed some light. Thanks in advance for any help

Murderrs, pedophilia, and elderly abuse? Where did you get this idea?

It completely depends on what type of forensic practice you do. Civil forensics has some murder if you choose to take those cases. In those, you're obviously not treating or otherwise engaging in a therapeutic relationship with the accused, which is part of the draw (to me and many other forensic psychiatrists) of that work.

If you work in the corrections system, you'll be flooded with this. Then again, this is a very finite portion of forensic work.